1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns ground coverings, and more particularly, representative and exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, devices and methods relating beach coverings, camping coverings, grass coverings, dirt coverings, rock coverings, sand coverings, and picnic coverings.
2. Description of Related Art
Ground coverings are typically used by people who want to sit, lie down, or otherwise relax on the ground in an outdoor setting. The ground coverings are useful to allow the user to avoid coming into direct contact with the ground, whether the ground is composed of grass, dirt, sand, rocks, organic material, or some other ground material. Typical activities where one might use a ground covering include: camping, picnics, going to the beach, outdoor concerts and plays, stargazing, viewing sporting events, parades, and any other outdoor activity where a person may end up sitting or laying on the ground.
One example of a very common ground covering is the beach towel or beach blanket. Unfortunately, most beach towel users discover that beach towels used as a ground covering rarely stay in one place. Over the duration of user's visit to the beach, the beach towel tends to reposition, bunch up and gather as people move around on top of it or as wind or other elements act upon it. This experience can be very frustrating. Furthermore, sand or other unwanted materials commonly encroach onto the beach towel during its use as a ground covering. This defeats the purpose of using the beach towel as a ground covering altogether; beach towels are not ideal outdoor ground coverings.
Others have attempted to solve some of the aforementioned problems. The following U.S. patents illustrate some examples
U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,160 describes a beach blanket having a single pair of sleeves. The sleeves are located on opposing sides of the beach blanket and PVC piping is inserted into the sleeves for the purpose weighting the blanket down. The PVC piping also creates a minimally rigid structure that would keep the blanket from bunching in at least one direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,182 describes a beach blanket having special tabs with grommets at its corners. The tabs and grommets are attachable to an exterior frame which appears to be piping similar to the piping in U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,160. The external frame has vertical members which allow for the creation of a perimeter wall when the specially tabbed beach blanket is attached to the external frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,605 describes a beach blanket having special snaps or hooks, which are connectable to an external frame. The external frame described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,605 is made up of a type of inflatable material that is coated in vinyl. The frame can be deflated and inflated through a special air valve attached to the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,536 describes a beach blanket having a set of pockets around its periphery. The pockets are intended to be filled with sand or other material. The weighted pockets will then hold the blanket in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,024 describes a ground covering which can be wrapped around an external frame. The frame is made up of piping which, when assembled, forms a circular frame. A ground cover, having a band around its perimeter, can be wrapped around the assembled frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,964 describes a beach blanket having notched corners. The periphery of the beach blanket is wrapped around an inflatable tube having an air valve for inflation and deflation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,430 describes a beach blanket very similar to the beach blanket described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,964 except the tube is designed to be filled with a liquid instead of inflated with air.
Some of the above mentioned devices have too many easy-to-lose parts and are complex to assemble. Others would be difficult to transport. Some require time and effort to inflate or fill with air, water or sand, and could be very heavy when filled with those materials. Devices inflated with air, water, or sand also could puncture and lose the materials within their perimeters, creating a larger mess than they were designed to avoid. Others require anchoring. Some attempt to solve the problem of beach blanket bunching, but do not resolve the issue of sand encroachment. Some would be difficult to clean or launder. Still others may be too heavy to move, once inflated, necessitating a repeated setting up and breaking down of the device if the user requires rapid mobility.
In view of the above related art, there remains a need for a ground covering which is simple, easy-to-assemble, easy-to-transport, easy-to-clean, and provides a solution to at least the problems of beach blanket bunching and the encroachment of unwanted materials onto ground coverings.